Hi I was just wondering if anyone had plans to make a 4ft high coop at the most(can be shorter) Currently I have an old half rabbit cage that I had built a few years ago. I only have 3 white leghorns but hoping to start raising and hatching silkies this spring. Does it need a roosting bar? Any help would be of thanks.

A roost would be nice for the birds. I think it gives them a sense of security, as well they don't have to poop where they sleep.

If you are trying to incorporate your rabbit hutch, (which we need a picture of) you will need some custom design plans. Plans for another coop would work if you were starting fresh, even if it was a taller design. You'd just have to reduce the height overall.

Take a look at my Silkie Chalet. The base is a wood pallet and the sides are build out of wood pallets. For all of the details go to the link below. It has an attached run to it now and it is elevated so the chickens spend a lot of time underneath of it.

I currently have 1 Silkie Roo, 3 Silkie Hens, 1 Cochin Bantam Roo and 3 Cochin Bantam Hens living in there. It sounds like a lot, but they are very happy in there and yes, they all crowd onto the roost at night. Like I said, they have access to their run 24 hrs a day.

I have a 7' high coop inside, but the roost is at 30". The birds prefer to be on the roost than anywhere lower.

Which birds would go in the 4' coop, the Leghorns or the silkies?

I've often thought that the easiest plans for a small building suitable for a few chickens (especially small varieties) would be a doghouse like this one.

This is 32"W by 42"L by 35"H. The back window should be cut out lower on the wall so as to be used as a chicken door. This little house could be set on legs making cleaning easier and so the chickens could make use of the protected area under the house.

Mary Twitchell has a little book on building doghouses. It only has a couple of styles but you just couldn't find much simpler plans for little buildings.

Ventilation would certainly be an issue with a tiny coop. Just the air volume could be an issue. Both are reasons why I don't mind having a 7' ceiling but only a 30" roost and only 4 chickens. Obviously, it isn't a doghouse.

One could be creative with plastic pipe ventilation thru walls/roof. I say "one" because I could imagine myself having problems with rain and melting snow leaks.

Volume is the other story. The industry has a rule of thumb of 3 cubic feet per pound of live chicken in indoor confinement. So, if your 3 Leghorns weigh 15 pounds - you need 45 cubic feet for them. That should be seen as very, very minimum. I think you'd need powered ventilation.

It may sound like 45 cubic feet is a lot for 3 Leghorns but that would be about 3'W by 4'L by 4'H (minimum). That doghouse I mentioned above isn't big enuf: 32"W by 42"L by 35"H (27 cuft) is only large enuf for 2 Leghorns using that rule of thumb.

Three or 4 Silkies at, say, 2 pounds each - would fit in that small of a doghouse, with a little room to spare . And, there are larger doghouses that could be built.

The silkies might fit in a medium-sized doghouse comfortably but the silkie-keeper would need to decide how wide the "people door" should be .